Impasse declared in Mascenic School District teachers' negotiations

By NANCY BEAN FOSTERUnion Leader CorrespondentJanuary 22. 2013 8:41PMNEW IPSWICH - Teachers in the Mascenic School District likely won't see raises in the coming year after an impasse was declared in negotiations between the school board and the teacher's union.

According to joint statement from the school board and the Mascenic Education Association, several joint negotiating sessions and mediation couldn't bridge the gap between what the union and the school board demanded from the contract.

The main sticking point, according to the statement, was a disagreement over a process that would have allowed tenured teachers who were not rehired to appeal the decision. The board wanted to limit that right to appeal, but the union would not agree to changes.

The board and the union were not far off on reaching an agreement for increased salaries, but because of the impasse over the appeals process, the negotiations stalled. As a result, the statement said it's unlikely there will be a collective bargaining agreement in place for the 2013-14 school year.